


Ice and Fire

by Cerulean_Frost



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Dragons, F/F, Fantasy AU, Human AU, and a few OCs - Freeform, but still it's here, i might add more characters on the tags, pearlrose is one-sided tho sorry bout that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-14 00:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4542747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerulean_Frost/pseuds/Cerulean_Frost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After surviving a traumatic dragon raid on their kingdom, princess Lapis Lazuli is saved by Peridot, a member of an infamous group of dragon riders who called themselves “The Blazing Crystals”.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> This is also found on tumblr which is only seen by few. Enjoy! :3

The princess didn’t expect any of this. Their kingdom was surrounded by a swarm of dragons by the twilight strikes. They were thousands, the sky is darker than the usual night as the dragons circled above the land. The scaly beasts swooped down from above, crushing helpless humans underneath their claws and tearing them limb by limb with their sharp teeth. It was a complete bloodshed, the smell of blood and ashes filled the air but no bodies were left behind, just blood coated scarred dirt.

The castle is the only target left and a fire-type dragon burned down the castle gates and dragons flooded the hallways like a gushing river, slaughtering every remaining humans they see.The king ordered the remaining guards to save the princess by going through the tunnels underneath the castle, she protested while the two guards dragging her, kicking her feet in the air while hot tears running down on her cheeks. As they get in the tunnel’s entrance, they heard the king’s shouts before everything went silent.

The terrified princess was escorted outside the tunnels and found themselves on an open space without any dragons within the range. That is when a juvenile dragon appears from nowhere, it was smaller than the humans but it’s attacks are lethal as one of the guards was stabbed with its poisonous tail, killing him instantly. The remaining guard created a diversion and yelled at the princess to run away. Lapis did run, her blue hair fluttering behind her and her sweaty palms grabbing her long dress, but the dragon has successfully killed the guard and caught up with her, pinning her down on the ground. Just before its teeth dug into her flesh, a spear from nowhere pierced through its head and dropped dead, its dark reddish blood quickly spilling on the ground. Lapis jolted up and kicked the dragon corpse away from her, disgusted and horrified by the liquid substance almost touching her. She has already seen enough blood for one day and wants to throw up.

“I’m such a lucky bastard” a woman’s voice came from the shadows and her head snapped on the direction. “Isn’t it the princess Lapis Lazuli?”

Lapis cringed when the strange woman said her name. She shakily stood up and said, her voice hoarse, “Show yourself”

The woman stepped out from the shadows with a 5-meter class dragon walked beside her. Lapis took a small step back when she saw the dragon. The dragon, however, has a bridle like one of those horses on the stable and has a saddle on its back. The top of its head is tipped with a pair of horn-like ears, and its segmented tail ends with a spiny protrusion. Its scales has green/black colouration, almost impossible to see in the dark. 

The woman is a few inches taller than the princess and notices her blonde hair is triangular and it was obviously unkempt as some of her golden strands fall on her side of her face. She wears a non-kingdom clothes which Lapis isn’t familiar of; a green tunic, leather pants and brown fur wrapping her neck and wrists. She’s almost look like a Viking, but not really. Lapis also notices that the woman is wearing a basic eyeware like she has seen from her father’s.

Her knees are still shaking and she wanted to collapse. She wished this is only a dream and nothing is real. But it happened. Her worsest fear happened, everything is lost in front of her. Nothing would-

She was snapped out of her thoughts as the woman forced her chin up to look at her. Lapis’ blue eyes stared at the stranger’s forest green eyes. The blonde smirked and dropped her hand on her side. 

“Whether you like it or not, princess” she said on her small, nasally voice, “You are coming with me”

“W-w-what?!” Lapis choked out, “Where?”

“It’s a secret place that no one should know” the blonde said as she approaches the dragon and hopped on the saddle.”If you didn’t come with me I’m sure you’ll-”

“Fine” the princess hissed. The rider held out a helping hand and Lapis was hesitant to grab it. The princess saw she rolled her eyes and grabbed her hand, helping her to get on the dragon’s back. 

“You better hold tight, princess” all was she say and the dragon took off. Lapis quickly wrapped her arms on the stranger’s hips and leaned against her back.


	2. Arrival Part 1

Cold breeze brush against Lapis’ face and listened to the beat of the wings of the dragon. She’s been hesitating to ask who is the stranger for an hour ago.

“May I ask what your name is?” Lapis asks reluctantly, leaning on the stranger’s back again.

“My friends call me Peridot” Peridot answered, “Besides, I don’t know my real name since my parents abandoned me when I was around three years old.”

Lapis’ eyes widened and her arms tightened around Peridot’s waist. She felt sorry for this stranger that she only met an hour ago. The princess pursed her lips together when she remembered the dragon raid happened a while ago.Tears welled up on her eyes and swallowed hard as she tried not to cry. She failed to stop the tears already flowing and bit a sob.

Peridot didn’t seem care that she’s crying because she is too focused on the map she’s holding on her free hand. Lapis wiped the tears away from her face and asked on a normal voice. “How far are we, Peridot?”

“We’re able to reach our destination in about…” she said, still looking at the map. "Four hours”

_Oh, great. Four hours. What a splendid journey indeed._

“You may sleep if you want, princess” the blonde said, folding her map and put it in her pocket. “I promise that Evergreen wouldn’t drop you”

The blonde patted the neck of the dragon who snorted in approval.

 _Evergreen?_  Lapis thought inwardly,  _Of course, that’s the name of her dragon, silly_

The blue haired princess yawned and fell asleep, still leaning on Peridot’s back with her arms wrapped on the taller girl’s waist.

* * *

“Hey” Peridot’s voice said, poking Lapis’ arm with her free hand. “We’re here”

Lapis Lazuli slowly opened her eyes and saw lights from the huts below. As the dragon landed near a hut, a hulking, tall woman came out from it and stomped her way to Peridot who just got down from the dragon. The woman has a long, unkempt white hair down to her waistline, and has noticeable stripe-like scars found on her arms and face. And she wasn’t so happy as Lapis can imagine that there’s a smoke coming from her ears.

As Lapis get off from Evergreen, she awkwardly stood there and watched the two fight.

“Where you’ve been, Peridot!?” she asks roughly in her raspy voice. It send down shivers on both of the girls’ spines. “You’ve been away for almost two days!”

“S-sorry!” the blonde raises her arms up, terrified as the intimidating woman stared at her. “I was just… looking for-”

“Dragons again?” the woman snapped, “They aren’t even helping around lately”

“It’s because they haven’t fully trained yet, Jasper” Peridot shot back and crossed her arms. “Maybe only _yours_ isn’t helping at all”

“Rhodrolth wasn’t suited for nonsense village chores” Jasper retorted, “She is suited for hunting, fishing and fighting”

_Wait. Some dragons can be tamed by this-_

“Enough, you two” another one came out from the hut and the bickering two snapped their heads on the newcomer’s direction. She is a bit taller than Peridot and has darker tone of skin than any of them. To Lapis, she is fine with the appearance but she’s sure that she  _is_ the leader of the group.

“Jasper, get inside the hut” she said as she walked towards the two. Lapis swore she heard Jasper muttered a string of curse words before making her way on the hut.

“You heard the dragon raid on the Blue Kingdom?” the woman ask on her monotone voice, but there was a hint of concern. The princess bit her lower lip and hugged herself.

“Yeah, Garnet, I was there” Peridot said, and glanced at Lapis, “And the princess is the only survivor…”

Garnet looked at Lapis and the princess avoided her stare as the older lady scanned her.

“Let’s take her in” was all she said and turned to Peridot. The blonde opened her mouth to protest but Garnet held a hand up, “No buts. And since she didn’t know how to use weapons or do household chores, you are the first one to be in charge of teaching her”

Peridot closed her mouth and her shoulders slouched. Garnet put a hand on her shoulder and went back to the hut.

“Damn it,” she muttered as she get the leather bag hanging on Evergreen’s saddle. “C’mon, prince-”

“Just call me Lapis” the blue haired girl snapped, getting tired of the so-called name. “I’m not a princess anymore”

“Okay,  _Lapis_ ” Peridot said settling her bag on her shoulder, “Let’s go to my hut, it’s not far from here”

Evergreen also followed behind them as the duo walked along the pathway. Lapis didn’t mind that her lower dress being soaked in mud and her blue hair’s strands sticking out in weird angles. Peridot bit her inner cheeks to stop herself from laughing at her companion. As they reached her hut, Lapis was surprised when she saw everything, including weapons, furnitures, miscallaneous stuff, are organized and have their own places.

“Lapis” Peridot said as she threw some of her clothes at the girl’s face, “Clean yourself up”

“…”

Peridot internally groaned and put down her bag on a couch made of leather. “Don’t worry, nobody’s gonna see you-”

“You didn’t tell me where the river is” Lapis said, cutting her out. The blonde just pointed the backdoor and sat on the couch.

“Thank you”

* * *

Once Lapis dried herself quickly as soon as she gets out from the water and wears the clothes Peridot gave her. Wearing long sleeves and leather pants isn’t so bad at all since she didn’t like her fancy dress. She picks up her dirty dress and listens to the birds chirping. The princess looked up and saw the sun is coming, making the sky glow into yellow-orange hue.

“Lapis, are you done yet?” Peridot shouted from the hut, “I’ll give you your first task!”


	3. Arrival Part 2

_Peridot’s POV_

I drummed my fingers impatiently on the exposed wood of my couch, producing faint sounds that make Evergreen’s ears twitch on every tap. Out of nowhere, my dragon popped out her small snout on my window and her yellow cat-like eyes stared at me. I glanced at her and she cocked her head slightly, her pupils dilated slowly and purred lowly as if she’s begging for something… Oh no. I froze and stopped tapping my fingers as the realization hit me. 

She wants me to call Lapis and ask her if she’s alright. It sound ridiculous, right? But I have known Evergreen long enough to understand her body language and different kinds of purrs and grunts. I inwardly groaned and snapped my head towards the dragon’s direction.  

“What?” I  ask with slight annoyance, throwing my hands in the air and hastily dropped it on couch, making the wood creaked. “Do you want fo-”

My dragon let out a frustrated huff, small rings of smoke came out from her nose hit my face and turned away from me. I know my poison-type dragon is urging me to call the princess if she’s done with her so-called royal bath. I sighed in defeat and relaxed my shoulders. Of course, I can’t outsmart my dragon since I’m  _really_ concerned for the princess. 

“If that’s what you want, Evergreen” I said under my breath “I’ll call the princ… Lapis rather.”

I exhaled shakily, and stood up. I heard Evergreen’s approval grunt while I get the bow behind the door.

“Lapis, are you done yet? I’ll give you your first task!“

I really hope that she’s ready for this, I mean, last night was literally a hell for her and maybe I should comfort her a little. I grabbed my bag and the quiver almost filled with arrows. I stood by the doorway and felt Evergreen nudging her snout on my shoulder.

“Why are you so clingy today Evergreen?“ I asked irritably as she looked at me with those puppy dog eyes again. “Ugh, stop that look. You know that I hate it”

“So, Peridot” Lapis said, as she dropped her muddy dress on the floor and put her hands on her waist, "What’s my first task?" 

Geez. She’s such a brat to me than a princess.

“Lemme ask you a question first” I said, settling the quiver and my bag on my right shoulder, “Have ever tried to hold a weapon?”

The princess pursed her lips and she seems to be hesitant to respond at my question as she averted her gaze from me.

“I tried a bow once” she said softly, “Father said that it wasn’t suitable for me”

Royalties. Ugh, that’s why I hate them so much. Sometimes, they have to take your freedom away just to serve under a couple of corrupted idiots that only knows how to manipulate people to get richer.

But… Lapis looks different to me. Wait, what am I thinking? Peridot, focus.

“Okay, Lapis” I said, turning away. Evergreen backed out while her gaze still fixed on me. I simply ignored it and looked over my shoulder. “I’ll teach how to use a bow then”

I swore I heard her squealed delightfully as she ran out of the hut, the door closing behind her. 

—-

“You didn’t told me we were going in a forest!” Lapis complains for the  _fifth time_. She’s been talking for more than an hour and doesn’t know how to shut up. “Why don’t we fly here using your dragon?”

She gestured her hand to Evergreen who snorted and her pupils narrowed into slits, and walked pass us. 

“We don’t need to fly to get here” I said, running down a hand on my face. “We just need to meet up with my group in an open area”

This statement finally shuts her up and I’m glad to listen to swaying leaves above us.

“Hey, Peridot!” I internally groaned as Amethyst shouted far behind us. When she finally caught up, I saw her wearing her stupid hat again. She nudged me by the elbow and said, “I heard from Garnet you’ll be looking out for this girl”

I didn’t react on Amethyst’s statement as I focused myself on every steps I made. I saw her shrugged at the corner of my eyes and walked towards Lapis.

“So, does Peridot treat you well?” she asks and my eyes widened and I almost tripped. I heard them snickered and I growled lowly as I blushed in embarrassment.

After a few painful minutes of walking, we finally reach the open field. I saw Pearl placing loaves of bread and cups on the table outside our team’s hut. It wasn’t exactly a hut, it was more blended with its surroundings, vines crawling on the roof that it make look like a trunk of a tree, well, that was Amethyst said when we built that.

I placed my things on the ground, pulled up a chair and sit on it. “Mornin’ Pearl”

“Good morning, Peridot” she said as she sat on the chair on the opposite side of the table. “Steven is here by the way”

“Here again?” I asked as I munched on my loaf and chewed. Pearl nodded, glanced down with solemn eyes and folded her arms on the table. I didn’t bother to ask to her what’s wrong. She just lost Rose on an ambush three years ago while they tried to escape the bandits while in the Yellow Kingdom territory. When she got here, her clothes were soaked in blood and her face was damped with mud and tears. I remembered all of us stared at her with shock and anger when she told that Rose and her agility-type dragon named Lyth have created a diversion for her to escape. She also added she went back halfway on her journey and saw our leader and her dragon have already been slaughtered, multiple arrows pierced through their chest and limbs. 

Pearl said through her sobs that Rose was still alive and slightly relieved that none of the arrows hit her heart but she was close to dying as she cough up more blood from her supple lips. Pearl held our leader close and whispered her final words:

__Though I’m not with you, you’ll have Steven by your side._  Please take care of him for me._

Steven was a newborn when Rose went on her last mission after she recovered from giving birth to him. I can still remember Pearl held our leader’s offspring tighly on her arms, tears freely falling down her face as the baby wriggles his hands and reach for her tears.

I finished my loaf and drank the lukewarm water on the wooden cup. I saw Pearl’s baby blue eyes fixed on me, and have an unreadable expression.

“Ma ma ma ma ma!” Steven’s voice cried from the hut and Pearl stood up sighing.

“I’m sure Steven wet himself again” she muttered under her breath and she walks towards the hut.

“Hey, Peri” Lapis called and looked at her with surprised.  _No one_  ever called me like that before. “I thought you’re gonna teach me how to use a bow”

I smirked, grabbed a loaf in one swift movement and shove it into her potty mouth. “Not when you eat breakfast first, princess”

She gave a light punched on the shoulder after she finished eating her bread and I chuckled. I handed the bow to her and carried my things on my shoulders.

“That’s not how you treat a princess, you dimwit” Lapis said, crossing her arms and gave me a hard gaze.

I raised an eyebrow, confused. “I thought you didn’t consider yourself as a princess anymore”

“I regret it” she admitted, fixing her gaze on her boots and clenched her fists, “I’m still… princess Lapis Lazuli”

“So,” I said, breaking the short silence, smile creeping on my face, “Can you call you princess again?”

“I don’t see why not” Lapis said, returning the smile, “But you’ll act as my servant though”

“What?!” I shrieked. To be honest, the statement caught me off guard. Lapis burst into a fit of giggles and saw Amethyst peering from the door, grinning like an idiot as she watched us.

I groaned and walked pass Lapis who is still laughing.

“Lapis” I grunted as I grab her wrist, “Let’s go”

We headed towards a river exactly one hundred meters away from the hut. Me and my teammates scaled the land when we built our base. The sun starting to rise up when reached the river. Good thing it wasn’t rushing at all.

“We’ll have to get to the other side then we’ll start the training” I said and hopped to the nearest rock with my arms wide while maintaining my balance on one foot. I leaped again and landed on a bigger rock where I planted both of my feet. I looked back and saw Lapis is doing fine as she leaped on smaller rocks gracefully. I snapped out my awed state as I continue to hop on another rock to another. I finally reached the other side and looked back. 

Lapis tripped and everything slowed down as I rushed to catch the princess. I caught her on my arms, ignoring the fact that our boots were soaked in cold water. The water is only knee high and the flow isn’t strong at all but, still, it’s  _fucking_ cold that it makes my legs numb.

“Thanks” Lapis said, looking up while tucking a lock of blue hair behind her ear. By the time our eyes met, my mind went blank as I stared deeply on her blue eyes and my heart hammered on my chest like I am captivated by those innocent eyes. Heat rushed on my face and ears and looked away as I drag her behind.

“Hey,” she said, concerned, “Are you okay? Because you like yo-”

“I’m fine, Lapis” I said, I can still my face heating up. Once we get on the land, I can’t still feel my legs but the cold is gradually decreased as we stepped on the grassy field. A tree nearby should be a good target practice. I released my hold on Lapis as I settle down my bag on the tree. I leave the quiver hanging on my shoulder.

“The bow” I said, and she handed it to me. “Okay, for starters, you should properly hold the bow and the arrow like this..”

I held up my left arm at full length as I hold the bow and pulled out an arrow from the quiver. I positioned the arrow, pulled the string and aimed it at the farther tree. I inhaled and exhaled as I released the arrow. The arrow hit the exact center of the trunk and lowered my weapon and glanced at the princess. “Get it?”

She swallowed and I handed her the weapon and the quiver. Lapis shakily held her left arm and did what I did. The arrow she shoots went astray and flew pass the designated target.

“I can’t do it,” Lapis said she dropped her stretched arm on her side.

“Because you’re only starting, princess” I said softly while I went behind her, “I’ll help”

She nodded once and sighed. 

“Okay, keep your arm straight” I said, holding her arm up on the proper position. Hot wind rustle the leaves above and her blue hair brushed against my face. It smells like the winds from the sea.

_Oh, gods, why did she smell so nice?  
_

_Focus, Peridot_

Lapis grabbed another arrow from the quiver and aimed again. I placed my hand gently on her hand that was holding the arrow. We pulled the string together and I can feel both of her arms shaking.

“Relax, Lapis” I said in a soothing tone, “On my signal”

I waited a little longer and the shaking faded and…

“Go!”

The arrow was released and it landed above my arrow I shot awhile ago. I released my gentle hold at her and ruffled her smooth hair.

“That’s more like it” I said, grinning and I saw her pouted in a playful way. “You should practice that everyday”

“Should I be the one who commands you around?” she asks jokingly as she gets another arrow.

“Make the shot count, Lapis” I said, ignoring her question, “We’ll have to find the arrow you shot awhile ago”

She shot an arrow and hit below the center. I never thought that she’s such a fast learner.

—-

When we get back to our base, the sun is already on its highest peak. I gave Lapis tattered clothes to wrap it around her injured hands. She did complained about the wounds she got from the arrows and I pointed out that I also went to the point where I almost lost a finger because of wrong aiming.

We both entered the hut and found Garnet chilling on the smelly couch. Frankly, I can tell my couch is better than the bigger but stinky couch of theirs. So I would rather sit on the carpet unless Jasper or Amethyst drag me to the couch to wrestle with me and guess who are the winners are. 

Garnet looked at us and gave us a pleasant smile, “How’s her training, Peridot?”

“She’s a fast learner” I responded as I sat on the fur carpet below and dropping my stuff, “And she’s simply amazing if I cut the long story short.”

“Lapis, right?” Garnet said, looking at Lapis. The princess nodded. Our current leader stood up and put placed her arms on Lapis’ shoulders.

“Welcome to The Blazing Crystals”


End file.
